Report: Three Hit by Stray Bullets on Syrian-Turkish Border

Three civilians were wounded by stray bullets fired from the Syrian border post of Tall al-Abyad where rebels have been clashing with regime forces, local media reported Wednesday.

A woman, one of the three wounded, was in critical condition, the private NTV television said quoting Emre Akgun, mayor of Akcakale district in the southeastern Sanliurfa province.

Schools in the area were closed for safety reasons, it added.

The Syrian army and rebel forces began fighting for control of the border post on Tuesday. The Anatolia news agency reported that the fighting resumed on Wednesday after a lull at night.

Tall al-Abyad is about 100 kilometers north of the Syrian town of Ar Raqqah and its border post was relatively little used until recently.

"We have confirmation that the regime forces are shelling the village, and that the rebels have taken over at least part of the border crossing," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, late Tuesday.

Local residents contacted by AFP reported seeing Syrian army helicopters taking part in the fighting and that Turkey has closed the crossing on its side of the border for security reasons.

Since late July Syrian rebels fighting the regime of President Bashar Assad have seized control of at least three key border crossings with Turkey -- Bab al-Hawa, al-Salama and Jarabulus.